Hesfflalst clabke



H. CLARKE & J. A` CAMPBELL.

FUEL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-4,1911. RENEWED JAN.

LEQSGS.

Witnesses- Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

w A i s 4 A Inventors .dornegh an sanare ernten HERMAN CLARKE, 0F LONDON, .AND JAMES'A. CAMPBELL, OF ILFGRD, ENGLAND.

FUEL.

Specification of Letters, Patent.

Application led August 4, 1911, Serial No. 642,357. Renewed January 24, 1916. Serial No. 74,062.

T 0 all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that We, HERMAN CLARKE, a citizen of the United States of America, and residing at 3 London Vall Buildings, London, E. C., England, engineer, and JAMES ALEXANDER CAMPBELL, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Q3 Eton road, lford, England, engineer, have invented certain new and useful Improvements Relating to Fuel, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the production of a smokeless fuel by the partial destructive distillation of bituminous or semi-bituminous coal or similar carbonaceous substance, and the invention has for its objects to produce a fuel that will not easily crumble in handling or in carriage, that can bereadily discharged from/the" retort in which itis produced, and in the process of'whose production tar is produced uncontaminated with parafins and capable of profitable distillation yielding a large percentage of hydrocarbons of the benzol series, and tar acids rich in crystallizable orthocresol and pitch of good and tough quality having a low content oft free carbon; as well as a considerable quantity of ammoniacal liquor consisting largely of free ammonia; and a gas of high illuminating power and calorific value, containing benzol in considerable quantity.

Accordingto the invention the process of distillation is effected under such conditions as to insure the retention in the residue of a relatively high percentage of volatile matter, and with a view to insure the production of a residue that will not easily crumble in handling or in carriage, the distillation is effected under such conditions as to insure the formation around the charge of an exterior crust of hard coke.

According ato the invention, moreover, the distillation is effected within vertical retorts tapered outwardly toward the bottom, and the distillation is arrested when the charge has contracted to such an extent as to be free from the walls of the retort, that is to say, at the stage when, upon the doors being opened, the charge falls out of the retort as an integral mass, without the necessity of employing special means for its withdrawal. By arresting the distillation at this stage a residue is produced having on its exterior a thick crust of hard coke.

The invention comprises the process that is hereinafter described.

A retort such as may be employedfor carrying out the invention is illustrated lin the accompanying drawing, in `which-- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, and Fig. 2 a corresponding cross-section taken on the line -fe/ of Fig. l.

In carrying the invention into effect verV` tical retorts such as a are preferably employed of oblong section having an internal width of about six inches and of any convenient breadth, each retort a being advantageously made up in short lengths or sections 'b and of fireclay, cast iron or other suitable material, and each length or section of each retort being connected with the other by such means as a spigot and socket or other gas tight connection, by Which a continuous fvertical retort is formed tapering-outwardly toward the `bottom door.

The coal or other substance to be distilled and preferably in the form of slack is fed to the retort from the top, where a gastightcover c is mounted. The retort is maintained at about from 1,3000 to 1,4@00O F. for from seven to eight hours, that is to say, until the charge reaches the condition in which it has contracted sufliciently to fall of its own weight and beyond the stage at which the evolution of tar or illuminating gases has ceased. By destructive distillation effected and arrested under these conditions, the residue is surrounded by a crust of hard coke, of from i to in thickness, almost entirely devoid of volatile matter, while the central mass or core of the residue contains suiiicient volatile matter (from 6 to 10%) to render it free burning. By such a process of distillation a fuel 1s producedy which, by reason of the crust formed by contact of the walls of the retort with the charge, is adapted to withstand handling and carriage with a very small loss in crumbling, while furthermore a product results which has a hi h calorific value and is smokeless in4 com ustion.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A new product of manufacture, being a smokeless fuel consisting of a solid body of coke,vthe greater part of whose mass at the center contains a relatively high proportion of volatile matter and is relatively fragile, the remainder containing a small proportion of volatile matter and forming a relatively hard crust, the whole, however, forming an integral mass.

2. A new product of manufacture, being a smokeless'fuelconsisting of a solidbody of coke, the greater lpart ofwhose mass at the'l center is vrelatively lfragile and has a hard crust integral therewith.

3. A rocess for lthe partial destructive distillatlon of coal or carbonaceous matter, for the production of a fuel, which 4consists in subjecting the mass in a closed retort to, destructive distillation past the stage when and for the production'of fuel, consisting in subjecting the mass in a closed vertical retort to destructive distillation past the sta e when illuminating gases have ceased to e.

evolved and continuing the distillation until the charge in the retort shrinks and a hard integral crust is formed around the charge,

then arresting the distillation.. substantially,r t

`1300"''to"140()"f14". past the stage at which as described. v

5. A process for the partial destructive distillation of coal or carbonaceous matter, for the production of, a fuel, which consists in subjecting the mass in a closed retort to destructive distillationl at a medium temperature past the stage at which illuminating gases have ceased to be evolved and continuing the distillation until the outer portion of the charge in contact with the walls of the retort forms a crust of coke Iintegral with the main mass thereof, and

ldistillation of coal' or' carbonaceous matter and for the roduction of fuel, consisting in subjecting t e mass in a closed vertical. retort to a medium temperature past the stage at lwhich illuminating gases have ceased to lbe evolved and continuing the distillation until the charge in the retort shrinks and -a hard integral crustis formed around the charge then arresting the distillation substantially as described.

8. A process for the partial destructive distillation of coal or carbonaceous matter and for the production of fuel, consisting in subjecting the mass in a closed vertical retort to destructive distillation 'at about illuminating gases have ceased to be evolved and continuing the distillation until the charge .in the retort shrinks and a'hard integral crust is formed around the charge,

then arresting the distillation substantially as described. l

In testimony whereof We have hereunto signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

HERMAN CLARKE. JAs. A. CAMPBELL.

Witnesses:V

GEORGE HAM, H. W. BLAKE. 

